The USTA Southwest Tennis Hall of Fame was established in 1991 to recognize those members of the Section, both players and non-players, whose achievements and contributions are worthy of the highest commendation and recognition. In Northern New Mexico, we are pleased to honor the following individuals:
Nancy Neeld, Inducted 1996
Paige Shunny, Inducted 1998
Vivien Bull, Inducted 1998
Sissy Kelly, Inducted 2000
Dona Boyden, Inducted 2000
Dick Gorman, Inducted 2002
Suzanne Jollensten, Inducted 2004
Richard Johnson, Inducted 2008
Jack Kennedy, Inducted 2012
Tony Bull, Inducted 2016
Paul Butt, Inducted 2017
Doug MacCurdy 2018
Nancy Neeld
Inducted October 1996 – Submitted by Suzanne Jollensten
Nancy Neeld was a resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, playing in the Southwest Section since 1957. She played junior tennis in Dallas Texas, was ranked first in Texas in the 15 and under, and in 1948 played #1 singles on the first Texas Junior Wightman Cup Team to win the national Junior Wightman Cup Competition. Nancy was a fixture of Southwest women’s tennis from the early 1960’s and dominated women’s tennis in the Southwest when she wasn’t busy playing at the National level. Nancy was an honorary member of the Tennis Club of Albuquerque, and taught many, many people to play and appreciate the game. She served as a wonderful, if not daunting, role model for aspiring young women players in the area by always maintaining an extremely high level of play and sportsmanship.
The following are only a few of her achievements as a player: In 1962, she played the US Open in Forest Hills, and was ranked 19th in the country in singles and 7th in doubles. In 1962, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1977, she was the Women’s Singles Champion of the Tennis Club of Albuquerque. In 1965, she was ranked 1st in the Southwest. In 1970, she won the Women’s 40 National, Singles and Doubles with partner Betty Pratt. In 1971 and 1972, she won the Women’s 40 National Grass Court Doubles with partner Betty Pratt and then retired the Grass Court Cup.
In 1972, she was awarded the USTA Service Bowl. In 1976, she received the Governor’s Sports Award for New Mexico. In 1977, she played the Brittanica Cup for the U.S. In 1978, she was named to the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame – the First Woman and first Tennis Player to be so honored. In 1978, she received the Fiesta Bowl Sportsmanship Award.
In 1981, she was ranked 1st in 50 Nationals, Singles. In 1986 and 1987, she was ranked 1st in 55 Nationals, Doubles. In 1986 and 1987, she won the National Mother-Daughter Championships with Carol Lang (Neeld).
In 1990, she was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson HS Hall of Fame (Dallas TX). In 1990, she was named as one of top 3 women in 60 singles to play on the U.S. Alice Marble Cup Team. The team played April 1991 in Perth, Australia and won the event. In 1991, she was ranked 2nd in 60 Nationals, Singles and Doubles. And in 2002, Nancy Neeld was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame (Fort Worth TX) on February 23.
In her career, Nancy Neeld won 35 gold balls as the winner of national championships and 17 silver balls as the runner-up in national championships. She coached the New Mexico Junior Wightman Cup Teams in 1966 and 1967 and assisted Maureen Connely Brinker with the Texas Junior Wightman Cup Team. She truly had a remarkable career. Nancy passed away Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at the age of 75.
Published by the Albuquerque Journal on Friday May 12th 2006:
NEELD -- Nancy Armor Neeld, 75, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, May 9, 2006. Nancy was born October 11, 1930 in Dallas, TX. She was preceded in death by her parents: Harry James and Josephine Armor; and husband, Bobby Gene Neeld, whom she married on December 26, 1958. Nancy is survived by her children: Carol Lang and her husband, Bill, of Layton UT; Curtis Neeld and his wife, Jackie, of Roswell, NM, and Terry Neeld of Montrose, CO; one sister: Patsy Ann Goodlett and her husband, Steve, of Dallas, TX; and one brother, James (Jimmy) H. Armor and his wife, Donna, of Plano, TX; grandchildren: Sandy and Billy Lang; Russell, Matthew and Bobby Neeld; and Anna Kathryn Neeld; great-grandchildren: Zoey and Simeon Neeld. A special thanks to her caregivers: Katy Marcotte and Kori Garcia, and the care provided by VistaCare Hospice. Nancy loved the sport of tennis. She was a two-time Texas State High School Champion, 1947 - 48; and she earned thirty-four national titles and was ranked #1 in the United States in Womens 40, 45, and 50 singles. Nancy was the first woman and tennis player inducted into the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame (1978) and she was also inducted into Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002. Nancy was cremated and a Life Celebration Service will be held in her honor on Monday at 10:00 a.m. at Reflections. REFLECTIONS Funerals & Life Celebrations 2400 Washington Street NE 884-5777
Paige Shunny
Inducted November 1998 – Submitted by Sarah Ortmann
Paige Shunny was born January 14th, 1922. She moved to Albuquerque NM in 1954 and since that time competed in local, district, sectional and national tennis events. Paige’s career in tennis began at age 13 on the clay courts of Pennsylvania, playing when there were no age divisions other than “junior”. She competed against Shirley Frye, who won the National Title when Paige was 16 and Shirley was 12. She also played against Louise Brough who went on to win Wimbledon and other titles. She was selected to play on the Middle States Junior Wightman Cup in 1942. She played Intercollegiate Tennis at Beaver College, playing against teams at Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, Rosemont, Temple, and Drexel. She was the captain of the team her senior year.
Paige graduated from college as a physical therapist and served in the army as a physical therapist during World War II, working at Walter Reed Hospital. She married John Shunny in 1951, and moved to Albuquerque in 1954. At that time there were very few courts in Albuquerque, and she played with Vivien Bull at the Rio Grade Zoo Courts. Shortly after that, the Beverly Park Courts at Louisiana Boulevard and the freeway were built. Paige eventually taught with Vivien at the Beverly Park Courts after Vivien’s husband, Malcolm Bull, died.
Paige was president of the Albuquerque City Tennis Patrons in 1970, which was the only tennis organization in the area at that time. The organization had fundraisers to support junior tennis. When the Albuquerque Tennis Complex was built in 1973, the plans called for a quality composite surface. When Paige went to look at the progress of the construction, she saw that the wrong surface was being put down. She called the mayor, who said it was too expensive to change. Paige organized the local players to call other players who all called the mayor to protest. The mayor finally called Paige and asked her if she could please have the players stop calling if he would stop construction and replace the wrong materials with the correct surface.
Having been an avid tournament player for years, she became the Southwest Section Senior Competitive Representative from 1993 to 1996, successfully working to promote Sectional funding of the Intersectional Teams. She played on the Intersectional Teams at the 65s and the 70s levels. She was a finalist in 1992 at the 70s Hilton Head, South Carolina. She competed in many national tournaments, including the Clay Courts in Houston, Texas, as well as the grass courts and the hard courts. She won the 1977 National Indoor Tennis Championships Women’s 55 Doubles with Georgia Buechley, winning a gold ball. She had also played national doubles events with Maxine King.
She played in all the USTA leagues since they started, adult as well as senior. She also played when the Volvo League first started. She began the first inter-city league tennis in Albuquerque in the late 1960s with Dona Boyden. The teams played out of Beverly Park Courts, the Tennis Club of Albuquerque, Zuni Courts and Hoffmantown Courts. They instituted a self-rating system based on six colors, representing the levels of play. A lower team could, of course, challenge a team above. All score were called in to Paige and Dona Boyden so the winners could be recognized. After the Albuquerque Tennis Complex was built, play was moved there so that all could play at one site. Paige eventually turned the league over to the manager of the complex because the league had become incredibly large and successful. To be able to play, you had to call well in advance, and there was a waiting list to be a participant. An end of the year banquet was introduced. Many of the old timers feel that Albuquerque tennis was at its best at that time, as all clubs and city players mixed together and played a the same site.
In Albuquerque, Paige was a quiet ambassador for tennis, always a presence at tournaments, both playing and watching matches. She encouraged many, many players to continue playing by her support. She was always out watching and supporting others – even those she didn’t know, and those just beginning to play. Paige gave back to the game just by being Paige. Anyone who crossed her path felt a renewed love for tennis, as she exemplified tennis in the Albuquerque area. Paige defined the words character and sportsmanship. I have never heard anyone ever say an unkind word about Paige or complain about her in a match. That is a rare thing when you have played as long as she had. All that knew her spoke of her with love and respect.
Published by the Albuquerque Journal on Saturday January 16th 1999:
SHUNNY -- Paige Weaver Shunny, born April 16, 1922 in Franklin, PA, died January 11, 1999. She was preceded in death by her husband, John R. She is survived by three sons, John R. III of London, Keith W. of Florida and Peter S. of Colorado. She is also survived by two granddaughters; two grandsons; and many dear friends. A graduate of Beaver College, she was President of the Student Government, a member of the Middle States Lawn Tennis Association, and was on the Junior Wightman Tennis Squad. She attended the Army Physical Therapy School in Washington, DC, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1944. Stationed at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, she retired as a Captain in 1947. She and her family moved to Albuquerque in 1954. In 1986, she received the Rocky Mountain Division Outstanding Auxiliary Award for her service on the Ski Patrol. She retired from the Sandia Peak Ski Patrol in 1997 after 25 years of service. Active in adult and senior tennis, she received many awards in local, regional, and national competitions. She was inducted into the Southwest Tennis Hall of Fame in November, 1998. Donations may be made to Lovelace Hospice, 343-6374. Memorial services are at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1100 Indian School NE, on January 20, at 2:00 p.m with Pastor Jeff Louden presiding.
Vivien Bull
Inducted November 1998 – Submitted by Sarah Ortmann
Vivien Bull was junior tennis in Albuquerque for many years. She was eventually employed by the Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department; but then, as now, the budget was incredibly small, and she was more of a volunteer than an employee. Before there was a real tennis facility in Albuquerque she lobbied for a large, decent facility, where lessons, leagues and matches could be conducted. The result was Beverly Park Courts, which provided 12+ tennis courts. She used much of her own money to take junior to tournament throughout the Southwest, including El Paso, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver, Fort Collins and Durango. She founded junior programs throughout the Southwest to set up dual matches and play days to give the local juniors new and better competition.
“Her” players were many of the highest ranked juniors in the Southwest, including Harold Lujan, Larry and Phillip Lindsay, Joanne Boehning, Helen Harbert, Kathy Zack, Tony Bull, Mary Beth Kessler, Ian Phillips, and Sue Jollensten. A look through the Southwest Yearbook for 1969 reveals how many players began in Mrs. Bull’s junior program. Her son, Tony Bull, went on to be the Southwest Section President. The Albuquerque tennis program has never been better than during the time Vivien was involved. She scheduled the leagues, arranged matches and found rides and funds for juniors that couldn’t have otherwise afforded to go to the tournaments.
Vivien Bull began junior tennis in Albuquerque in 1957, known as the “Albuquerque Junior Tennis League”. She obtained sponsors, t-shirts, and provided summer-long competition. This was above and beyond her duties teaching tennis for the City. Through her efforts she made tennis fun and challenging to the local city children, providing them with the opportunity to play in a league. She ran local junior tournament, raised money for trophies, and gave the local juniors a goal, as they had to qualify for the chance to travel to tournaments as far away as California. Vivien taught long hours, encouraging juniors to develop their skills and sportsmanship.
Vivien and her husband, Malcolm (“Mac”) were instrumental in starting the Tennis Club of Albuquerque, and helped in establishing junior memberships at that facility. As a testament to her importance in the development of tennis in Albuquerque, not one person that has been considered for nomination to the Southwest Section Hall of Fame has failed to urge Vivien’s nomination in lieu of their own. She was involved in junior tennis in the Section for well over ten years, and has been a resident of Albuquerque for more than twenty. (She lived and taught in California for a period of years.)
Published by the Albuquerque Journal on Saturday February 10th 2001:
BULL -- Dr. A. Vivien Bull, 79, died Wednesday, February 7, 2001, after a brief illness. She was preceded in death by her husband, Malcolm Stirling Bull, and her sister, Pamela Seaton Bouquet. Born in Torquay, Devon, England, she graduated from Cheltenham Ladies College, Gloustershire. A war bride, she came to the United States after World War II, first living in Springfield, MA, and then settling in Los Alamos. She began a family and moved with her husband to Albuquerque in 1951. Vivien is survived by one sister; six children; 15 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. They are Monica Seaton of Cheltenham, Anthony Bull and his wife, Drucilla, and their children Robert, Amy Smith and husband, Jeff, and their daughter, Bethany, Andrew Jennifer and Stephanie, all of Albuquerque; Christopher Bull of Brookline, MA, and his daughters, Lauren Walker and husband, Ben, Brooke, and Kristin; Pamela Allen and husband, Stephen of Albuquerque; Julian Bull and wife, Katie of New Orleans, LA, and their son Malcolm; Nicholas Bull and wife, Jeannette of Golden, CO, and their children, Danielle, Kyle, and Cory; and Jonathan Dana Bull and his companion, Mychele Hall of Albuquerque, and his son, Dustin. Vivien Bull started the Junior Tennis League in Albuquerque in the late 1950's, and she taught tennis in the city for nearly 20 years. After the death of her husband in 1966, she began work towards her doctorate in romance languages at the University of New Mexico and received her Ph.D. in 1976. Shortly thereafter, she accepted a position at the University of California, San Bernardino, and retired there as full professor and chair of the humanities department in 1992. In 1998, she was inducted into the Southwestern Tennis Association's Hall of Fame. She was loved by many. Memorial Services will be held Saturday, 1:00 p.m., at The Cathedral Church of St. John, 4th Street and Silver SW. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Animal Humane Association of NM Inc., 615 Virginia SE, 87108 or to the charity of your choice. French Mortuary, 1111 University Blvd. NE.
Sissy Kelly
Inducted November 2000 – Submitted by Sarah Ortmann
Sissy B. Kelly has contributed to the world of tennis since age 14. She started playing with a wooden racket in Vicksburg, Massachusetts and was the No. 1 player for four years in high school. She began her volunteer work during summers away from the University of Colorado, directing Vicksburg’s first summer tennis program for kids. After moving to Albuquerque in 1965, she began working at the Tennis Club of Albuquerque.
She became active in adult tennis, playing the Women’s 35 competitions in 1979 and 1980 at the U.S. Open. Sissy earned top 10 National Rankings in every category from 30’s-40’s, No. 1 Sectional Ranking in 35’s, 40’s and 45’s, over 75 district titles, and international play including 2nd place in the Women’s 40’s at the Portschach Cup in Australia.
Sissy’s volunteer work includes directing tournaments to raise funds for Special Olympics and annual clinics for special education programs. She is the co-founder of the Albuquerque Wheelchair Foundation and has spent countless hours directing, coaching and assisting players. Sissy received the USPTA Volunteer of the Year Award for her work. Sissy served four years as President of the Southwest Tennis Association, two years as the SWTA delegate, and four years with the USTA Player Development Committee as Chair and Vice Chair, along with serving on various other committees.
She and her husband, Jake, backpacked the Colorado Trail to raise $8,000 for the New Mexico Make a Wish Foundation. Today, Sissy is active in photography and writing. A former tennis student describes Sissy as “a true champion”.
Dona Boyden
Inducted November 2000 – Submitted by Sarah Ortmann
Dona Boyden was born on June 25th, 1921. She began playing tennis at the age of 12 in Denver Colorado, on a gravel court with taped lines. She continued playing through high school and college at Dartmouth, as well as participating in local tournaments. She moved to Albuquerque in 1955. She and her husband were active in the local tennis community from the very beginning. In 1956, they became charter members of the Tennis Club of Albuquerque [Member No. 11] where Dona has the distinction of being the first to play on the courts at the Tennis Club of Albuquerque with Joe Ferguson, the very first pro at TCA. Dona clearly meets both the residency and service requirements for the Southwest Section Hall of Fame, having been active in local and southwest tennis for more than double the ten years required.
At TCA Dona helped with all aspects of promoting tennis – serving on the Board, helping pro Joe Ferguson with his junior program, and even operating the ball machine for the juniors. Going back so far as 1958, when the Tennis Club of Albuquerque and the University of New Mexico sponsored the appearance of the “professional tennis troupe” promoting Jack Kramer, Dona was in charge of university and school publicity. In the late 1960’s, when the Junior Southwest was held in Albuquerque, Dona decided the juniors needed to better follow the etiquette and rules of tennis, so she recruited officials for every court for all first round matches of that tournament – something she’d been told was going to be impossible to do! For many, many years, TCA was one of the primary sites for tournaments in the Albuquerque area, and hers was an ever-present face at the tournaments, doing the draws, running the tournament desk, and recruiting volunteers. Additionally, she ran the Adult NM Open, and in 1975 was Co-Tournament Director of the SWTA Open.
Dona and Paige Shunny (shown right 3rd and 4th in photo) began the first “all-city” league in Albuquerque in 1967, combining club players and city players and instituting a self-rating system based on six colors representing the levels of play. They were ahead of their time with regard to the concept of matching players of comparable abilities in order to promote participation. The teams played out of the Beverly Park Courts, the Tennis Club of Albuquerque, Zuni Courts, and Hoffmantown Courts. A lower team could challenge a team above. All scores were called in to Paige and Dona so the winners could be recognized. After the Albuquerque Tennis Complex was built, play was moved there so that all could play at one site.
Dona and Paige eventually turned the league over to the manager of the Complex because the league had become incredibly large and successful. To be able to play, you had to call well in advance, and there was a waiting list to be a participant. An end of the year banquet was introduced. Many for the old timers feel that Albuquerque tennis was at its best at that time, as the club and city players mixed together and played at the same site.
Dona was active in the Albuquerque Tennis Patrons. She helped raise funds, promoted the game, and assisted promising junior players. She was instrumental in the formation of the Northern New Mexico District Tennis Association in 1973, developing the concept that of the Albuquerque Tennis Patrons acting as the fundraising arm of the local association and the NNMDTA acting as the local governing body for the USTA and the Section. She traveled to most of the communities throughout Northern New Mexico to recruit local clubs and organizations as member of the new organization.
She served as the very first president of the Northern New Mexico District Tennis Association, serving in 1974 and 1975. After her presidency of the District, she went on to be a long time Area Vice-President representing the District on the Southwest Tennis Association Board (now the USTA SWS) in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982. In 1979 for the SWTA, she received life membership in the USTA for her outstanding work as an Area Vice-President for the SWTA. She also attended the USTA annual Meeting in 1979 as the delegate for the SWTA, appointed by President Tony Bull to act in his stead on behalf of the Section. She served on the SWTA Hall of Fame Committee, was SWTA Ranking Chairman, and in 1980 served as Chair of a special SWTA By-Laws Committee, in which the present system of rotating the president of the SWS was put into place. Dona and Jeanie Brummell were responsible for putting together the first large 8x10 Southwest Yearbook with the cover designed by Bill Tull.
Dona epitomized the best of tennis. She was an ideal USTA volunteer – generous with her time and her praise for others, enthusiastic, hard-working, self-deprecating – a great good will ambassador for the sport.
Published by the Albuquerque Journal on Friday September 21st, 2012:
BOYDEN -- BOYDEN, DONA LAWHEAD Age 91, was the epitome of elegance and grace - always a lady. Yet, on the tennis court, golf course or ski hill she was a real competitor. Raised in Denver, Colo. and resident of Albuquerque since 1955, Dona passed away peacefully on Sept. 5, 2012. She was preceded in death by her husband George M. Boyden, sister Dorothy Templeman, grandson George S. Boyden, Jr, and daughter- in- law Lila M. Boyden. She is survived by her son George S. Boyden and his wife Virginia (Tooey); daughters Barbara Walters of Plano, TX and Ann Smith and her husband Rex of Commerce, MI; and son Thomas Boyden. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother to all of her family, including nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren who always brought a smile to her face. She met her lifelong partner George on a mistaken blind date at Colorado College, married after her graduation on May 29, 1943, and had many wonderful and adventurous years together. Dona was a devoted sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, member of the Tuesday Literary Club, enjoyed playing bridge and the arts, was an active volunteer, but most of all Dona was a lovely and kind lady, a friend to all she met. Dona was quite the athlete, mostly known for her tennis, but was a long time skier and avid golfer with two holes in one, the second when she was 78! She and George were founding members of the Tennis Club of Albuquerque and Dona was inducted into the United States Tennis Association Southwest Region Hall of Fame in 2000. A memorial service to celebrate Dona's long and incredible life with family and friends will be held on Sept. 22, 2012, at 10:00am at St. Stephen's United Methodist Church 4601 Juan Tabo Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, followed by a celebration at the Tennis Club of Albuquerque at 2901 Indian School Road NE. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate your donation to youth tennis at the USTA Serves Foundation (). To view information or leave a condolence please visit
www.danielsfuneral.com Daniels Family Funeral Services 7601 Wyoming Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 505-821-0010Dr.
Dick Gorman
Inducted November 2002 – Submitted by Dale Heincelman
Dick Gorman was born July 12th, 1928. He did not begin playing tennis until his 30s. Since then he was a consistent league and tournament player. He volunteered for the Southwest Section for over 35 years. He served as a league team captain for ten years.
Dick was an early participant in the Community Tennis Association of Albuquerque. He was the first president of the CTA. In 1992, he inaugurated the drop-in tennis at several clubs. He was responsible for beginning the CTA tennis carnivals. Dick successfully lobbied the City Council to include funding for tennis programs throughout the City. Under his guidance, the CTA raised funds for various tennis programs. His achievements were recognized when the CTA was chosen the Tennis Organization of the Year by the NNMTA in 1991.
In 1991, he organized and founded the Grand Prix Circuit. These tournaments have permitted literally thousands of players to participate in high-quality, organized tennis. Dick single handedly ran these events and kept all of the records for the circuit. At the end of the season, he ran a Grand Prix masters event. He successfully enlisted the assistance of major sporting goods companies as sponsors.
In the mid 90’s Dick was involved in Play Tennis America. This group was established to get more adults involved in tennis. Free lessons were offered for adults in both the spring and fall. Dick not only taught at these programs, but he also raised $5,000 in grant funds.
In his later years, he was responsible for setting up participation for seniors in the European Red Clay Circuit. In Europe, he was affectionately known and respected as “the professor”.
Dick served on the Board of Directors for NNMTA from 1992 to 1998. He served on the Southwest Section Board from 1994 to 1998. He served as the Senior Recreation Committee Chair and was the recipient of several Volunteer of the Year awards.
Beginning in 1992, he was the founder, editor, reporter and general factotum of the Sun Country Tennis newspaper. This publication is still the major source of news for all players in the NNMTA area. In addition to his number of volunteer activities, Dick was a teacher of psychology at the Central New Mexico Vocational Institute. He wass also on the faculty at the University of New Mexico.
Dick was a guiding light for the NNMTA area for many years.
Published by the Albuquerque Journal on Sunday, November 21, 2010:
GORMAN -- Richard Mallany Gorman was born in Utica, NY on July 12, 1928. He passed away on Thursday, November 18, 2010. Richard graduated from Notre Dame University. He then received his Masters Degree from Georgetown University and two subsequent PhDs in philosophy and psychology from Fordham University. Richard was a professor at CNM and published three books. He was also inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame for community service. Richard is survived by his son, John Gorman and wife, Irene of Pembroke Pines, FL; son, Joseph Gorman and wife, Augusta of Albuquerque, NM; son, James Gorman of Deerfield Beach, Fl; daughter, Jennifer Darnowski and husband Jim; beloved son, Jacob Gorman and wife, JoAnne, of Deerfield Beach, Fl; six grandsons, Joshua, Callahan, Connor, Alex, Aiden, and Zachary; one granddaughter, Ariana Mia; 24-year life-time companion, Alice Valdez; brother, Dr. John Gorman and wife, Martha of Syracuse, NY; brother, Robert Gorman of San Francisco, CA; sister, Jean Gorman of Syracuse, NY; as well as other family and friends who loved and will miss him. A Celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements by Direct Funeral Services, 2919 4th St, NW, Abq, NM 87107. 505-343-8008.
Suzanne Jollensten
Inducted November 2004 – Submitted by Sarah Ortmann
At the age of nine and under the supervision of Southwest Section 1998 Hall of Fame inductee, Vivien Bull, Sue began playing tennis on the Beverly Park Public Tennis Courts in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She played and trained on these courts while achieving a national junior ranking of 16. Sue played collegiate tennis at the University of Arizona, University of California at Los Angeles, and at the University of New Mexico.
Sue’s volunteer career began in 1991. By 1994, she was secretary of the Northern New Mexico Tennis Association, and served as president from 1995 through 1997. The presidency also earned her a seat on the Southwest Section Board of Directors. She worked with pros and volunteers to improve the quality of programs offered as well as expansion of programs. She also served as the Southwest Chair of Junior Recreation for many years. Sue was elected Vice-President of the Southwest Section in 1998 and went on to serve as President in 2000 and 2001. During this time, she was instrumental in the decision to hire four local community tennis coordinators who would live and work in their communities. In 2002 and 2003, she served as the Southwest Section Delegate to the USTA. The entire USTA has benefited from Sue’s willingness to dedicate her time by serving on numerous USTA committees which include the School Tennis Committee, the Marketing Council, and the Budget Committee.
Sue also served as the President of the Southwest Tennis Foundation from 2003 to 2006. She was instrumental in coordinating the fundraising efforts between the USTA ColemanVision Tennis Championships and the Southwest Tennis Foundation to benefit the Northern New Mexico Middle School Tennis League. Sue’s vision of the Middle School program began in 1996. It would allow students an opportunity to represent their schools on a tennis team. Once funding was in place, Sue recruited coaches, helped with coaching, scheduled league matches, recruited volunteers and organized the year-end tournament. In 2003, twenty-six school and over 540 students participated in the Mid-School League. Sue has often participated in National workshops and conferences giving presentation on how to institute this program as it is considered a model for our nation.
In 2007, Sue went statewide with the Middle School Tennis program, and hosted the first ever, Governors Cup Championships. In 2008 Sue founded the New Mexico Youth Tennis Foundation to further support the growth of junior tennis throughout the State of New Mexico. In 2008, over fifty teams participated in the year-end tournament “Governors Cup Championship” with over 690 players registered and an estimated 800+ middle school players participating statewide.
Sue’s passion to further tennis stems from her desire to give back, especially, to public parks tennis so that others may have the opportunity to excel. There is no doubt Sue will continue her hard work in the years ahead to make opportunities in tennis available to everyone who so desires. Sue does not accept “NO” for an answer and continues to believe that if you build strong programs, the people will come. When asked why she spends so many hours on the Mid-School League, she said, “You know, I just love to see the kid’s playing – nothing more, nothing less. I want to them to have the opportunity to play tennis like I did on the Beverly Park Courts.”
Richard Johnson
Inducted November 2008 – Submitted by Wendy Thomas
Born and raised in Albuquerque, Dick Johnson has been a fixture in the city's tennis community ever since he first began playing in the early 1950's as a junior at the city's Beverly Park Tennis Courts. Rising up through the ranks as a junior, collegian, adult player, and tennis 'everyman', Johnson is one of the city's most identifiable and astute figures when it comes to the sport.
Johnson received a scholarship to play at the University of Albuquerque, and won the school's Athlete of the Year award in 1965 and 1966. See photo below with Dick standing back row and center. A USPTA certified teaching professional for more than 30 years and a past president of the USPTA Southwest, Johnson's life has been dedicated to teaching the sport. He's even worked at clubs owned by such tennis luminaries as Rod Laver and Roy Emerson.
But it's been at the grassroots level where Johnson's impact has been felt the most: Generations of young Albuquerqueans have learned to love the sport of tennis because of the man.
A true teacher at heart both in the classroom and on the court, Johnson is the originator of the New Mexico Grand Prix Junior Circuit, and one of the original coaches of the Northern New Mexico Tennis Association's Mid-School Tennis League, founded in 1996. A middle school coach for the last twelve years at Hoover Middle School, Johnson has also been an extremely successful coach of both the boys and girls programs at La Cueva High School the past 18 years, racking up an impressive 204-40 record (.836) winning percentage. He has won two state titles as a head coach, both in the last two years with the boys program.
Johnson has been also been a staunch supporter and advocate of USTA programs, most notably Junior Team Tennis. Johnson regularly fields multiple Junior Team Tennis squads in Albuquerque each summer, often directing teams to USTA Southwest Section Championships and on to the USTA Junior Team Tennis National Championships, including this year, 2008.
A past president of the Northern New Mexico Tennis Association, Johnson is also an active volunteer within the USTA Southwest who has served on several committees in the past, and currently works with the Junior Team Tennis and Awards Committees. Johnson has been a recipient of a lengthy list of community service awards from the USPTA, NNMTA and USTA Southwest, including his most recent distinction as the USTA High School Coach of the Year Award in 2005.
Dr. Jack Kennedy
Inducted October 2012 – Submitted by Becky Lee and Suzanne Jollensten. Introduced at Annual Meeting by Tim Garcia and Dick Johnson.
Jack Kennedy had a late start in tennis, beginning at age 14, but made up for that rather late introduction to the game to have an incredible junior career, winning the New Mexico State Singles Championship in 1956 at Highland High School.
Kennedy went on to become the first-ever All-American in Tennis at the University of New Mexico, and played No.1 on the Lobos' team all four years. He notched a perfect season in 1958 and did not lose a match en route to the Mountain States Conference Singles Championship. Kennedy was inducted into the University of New Mexico Athletic Hall of Honor in 2002, the highest sporting honor for the school.
He won more than 100 titles in his career, and was a Southwest Section singles champion 18 times and 15-time doubles champion in various age categories. Kennedy played against several legends of the game in competitive matches like Billie Jean King, Maureen Connolly, Alex Olmedo and Rafael Osuna.
Today Kennedy is retired at his home in Albuquerque. You can frequently see Jack at Lobo matches cheering his team on. He is an incredible mentor to up and coming players and remains a student of the game.
Tony Bull
Inducted February 2016 – Submitted by Jack Kennedy.
Bull grew up in a unique tennis family, so it was pretty much fated he would continue the success of his tennis name. His parents met on a tennis court in England while his dad was serving as a US Army Intelligence Officer during the German Blitzkrieg.
The couple moved to Albuquerque in 1951. Tony's father was one of the founding members of the Tennis Club of Albuquerque and his mother, Vivien (USTA Southwest Hall of Fame member - 1998) was an active tournament tennis player and instructor, creating extensive teaching programs for the City of Albuquerque.
Tony was a highly ranked and decorated Southwest junior, and was nationally ranked as well in Boys 16s. In 1966, Tony joined the University of New Mexico tennis team, where he became a 4-year letterman for the Lobos, winning two conference doubles titles with partner Van Hill (1968-69) and a Western Athletic Conference team title in 1968.
Beginning in 1972, Tony moved more into the realm of grassroots organizer and advocate, joining the Tennis Club of Albuquerque Board and became board president a year later. In 1974, Tony became the treasurer of the Southwestern Tennis Association (Now USTA Southwest).
He also served on ranking committees and junior tennis development fundraising committees. In 1
976, Tony became president of the Southwestern Tennis Association, a position he held until 1979. He also served as delegate and was a member of the USTA Executive Committee.
Tony continued playing after college and during his time as Section president, typically ranked No. 1 in doubles with partners Jack Kennedy (USTA Southwest Hall of Fame 2008) and Dwight Howard.
Tony was a former bank president, automobile dealer and an investment banker. He was a former chairman of United Way Albuquerque, YMCA Albuquerque and was the National Council of Alcoholism treasurer. He currently lives in Baton Rouge, La.
Paul Butt
Inducted January 2017 – Submitted by Jack Kennedy.
Widely recognized as one of the Albuquerque area's first-ever tennis stars, Butt had a huge rule in shaping tennis and the many great players that would follow in his footsteps.
Butt was a dogged competitor and a former No. 1 player in the Southwest men's Open category (1954 & 63), dominating regional events in New Mexico and Arizona over a decade-plus long span. He was a seven-time winner of the New Mexico Open, when that tournament typically attracted many of the best players from the Western part of the country. He won the men's singles title at the New Mexico Closed a whopping 10 times.
Butt was also a former No. 1 player and mutil-year letterman at University of New Mexico (1952-55), and a Skyline Conference finalist three consecutive years in singles (1953-55). He then served a short stint as an officer in the United States Air Force (1955-57) before returning to coach his alma mater University of New Mexico from 1958-60.
Butt's became a successful businessman after retiring from coaching, and though he played little after the 1970s, he was a member of UNM Alumni Association Board of Directors, President of the UNM Lettermen's Club, on the Board of Directors at St. Joseph's Hospital in Albuquerque, on the Tennis Club of Albuquerque Board of Directors and, after moving to Scottsdale, was a member of the Camelback Racquet Club Board of Directors.
Butt's lasting legacy is his influence on the next generation of players that followed in his footsteps in Albuquerque, players like Southwest Hall of Famers and UNM greats Jack Kennedy, Tony Bull and current USTA Southwest president, Tim Garcia. He resides in Scottsdale, Arizona today.
Doug MacCurdy
Inducted January 2018 – Submitted by Sue Jollensten.
MacCurdy has one of the more unique teaching tennis backgrounds in the history of the sport, with a global and development influence rivaled by few coaches.He was the former General Manager and Director of Development for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) from 1984-1998, the sport's global authority and overseer. In that role, MacCurdy worked with national tennis associations, supervising all departments of the ITF, and managing a multinational staff to bring the sport of tennis together on a global scale. This pioneering and visionary role with the ITF expanded the footprint of the sport, growing the ITF organization to over 200 member nations and giving MacCurdy a view of tennis across the planet few could ever match.
Following his role with the ITF, MacCurdy became the Director of USTA Player Development from 1998-2001, helping oversee the USTA's high performance tennis arm for four years, directing and managing the USTA's field staff of national coaches.
Since 2002, MacCurdy has been a true tennis consultant, conducting educational programs for the ITF, the International Olympic Committee and other national and private organizations in countries across the world. He's been particularly active in the Eastern Hemisphere, serving as the Chinese Tennis Federation's player development and coaching adviser (2005-2007) in preparation for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. MacCurdy has served in similar roles in India, Korea, Thailand and currently, Turkey.
MacCurdy is a master pro of the USPTA, a designation that only 1% of the organization's teaching pros attain. He has won numerous awards in his four-plus decades in coaching, including the ITF's prestigious International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award (1993) and ITF Award for Services to the Game (1998).
MacCurdy was an English-language commentator for the French Tennis Federation from 1986-97, handling the French Open. He has also authored numerous published articles on virtually all aspects of tennis, and is a co-author of the book, Sports Illustrated Tennis.
He is a graduate of Highland High in Albuquerque, the University of New Mexico (1971), and was a former member of the UNM tennis team. He has resided in Albuquerque for almost all of his adult life when he's not been abroad.